Photo Credit:
Words: Mia-Jo Vickers

The night started off by seeing Split The Ticket in what is only their second-ever gig in Manchester. Their sound compliments The North perfectly with their distorted guitar sounds, giving them an unfiltered urban feel. As they worked through their set, it was clear from the crowd’s reaction that they had gained a whole new group of fans. 

The atmosphere was set as The North got set up on stage. Only a speaker on a blue crate separated me from lead singer, Billy Memphis; this gig was sure to be something special. 

Gigs at the Deaf Institute are intimate to say the least. With no barriers and no personal space between you and the band, fans are treated to a unique experience you don’t get in other venues.

The North opened with the beautiful crowd pleaser, ‘Can’t Sleep‘, its catchy chorus and infectious melody will be stuck in your head for the rest of the night once you hear it. This was the perfect way to get the band and the crowd ready for the rest of the set. 

Billy then shouted into the mic “Manchester vibes in the area!”, a nod to Manchester’s finest, Oasis.  Then they got to work, blasting through the rest of their latest EP ‘Coming of Age’, featuring the title track, ‘Coming of Age‘, along with ‘Eyelashes‘ and ‘Tubes‘. 

The maturity of their music shines in their latest EP. It has a truly individual and distinct feel to it. The North’s unmistakable sound is created through an intense mix of high-energy guitars laced with a rough-around-the-edges northern grit. Just picture sitting on a field in the summer with all your best mates; they seem to perfectly capture the sound of what it feels like growing up and the angst that inevitably comes with it.

Billy says into the mic, “it means a lot to play here tonight”, as the band moves to the side and he tunes his guitar. The crowd watch in awe as he performs the unreleased song ‘Meaning of Life‘ fully acoustic. The North are known for their heavy hitters, so an acoustic track throws in a nice contrast and really breaks up the set. Hearing an acoustic track really highlights the unique rasp of Billy’s voice, a voice that is completely original and incomparable to anyone else around at the moment.

This was the third unreleased song they played in a row before going into ‘She’. It’s one of their strongest songs. It perfectly captures The North‘s classic 90s northern indie sound and is an incredible introduction to the band for anyone who hasn’t listened to them before. 

The song explores the theme of being absolutely smitten and doing pretty much anything for someone you love. This is reflected not only through the lyrics but also the upbeat guitar melodies; it has this warm summer-time nostalgia feeling.

They ended with ‘Soundtrack Your Soul‘. This is the band’s debut single, released at the beginning of 2025. Since then, this song has blown up and manages to bring the crowd together every time. The North truly are one of the most exciting bands on the scene right now and each track they play live showcases their truly captivating talent.

I can promise you that in 10 years, a teenager will be sitting in their bedroom watching videos from this night saying, “god I wish I was there”.